Adjustable-handle iron



Aug. 10 1926.

F. F. FoRsHEE.

ADJUSTABLE HANDLE IRON Filed Oct.- 25, 1921 MK 4` l.. y? nW/AI//MmlvATT'ORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK FORSI-IEE,l OF FLINT, v`MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO WESTINGI-IOUSE ELECTRIC 8c MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F EAST PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA, kA CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

ADJUSTABLE-HANDLE IRON.

Application led October 25, 1921. lSerial No. 510,395.

I My invention relates to electrically heated apparatus and particularly.to .electrically heated ironsV and it has for one of its objects toprovide a handle for an electric iron that-shall have a single pivotalmounting on the iron.

Another object is to provide "a mounting for a flat-iron handle ot theabove indicated character that shall. serve as a supporting means foraterminal and a connecting-plug guard. Y

This applicationis a continuation, in part., of my copendingapplication, Serial No. 423,562, liled Nov. 12, Y1920. p

In practicing` my invention, I provide an electrically heated ironhaving a lcover member, a metal handle "strap secured to the rear endofthe cover member, a handle support, ot substantially U-shape, and aterminal and a connectingplug guard secured to the handle strap.

A 'handle is pivotally and adjustably vmounted on the handle support, aspringbiased clamping meanson the jhandlevcooperating with a pluralityot' notches on the handle support to clamp the handle in any one of anumber of predetermined angnlarly disposed positions relativelvrto thebody portion of the iron; l

In the single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is a View, partly in longitudinal section and partly in sideelevation, of an electrically heated iron comprising the deviceembodyingmy invention, and Fig. 2 is a top, plan view of an iron embodyingmyinvention. Y

An electric iron, designated. generally by the numeral 10, comprisesworking member or sole plate 11, top plate 12 andan electric heatingelement 13 which is Vclamped .between the soleA plate and the top plateby means of a plurality of clamping screws or bolts 14. The members 11,12 and 13 constitute what may be termed the body portion of the iron. AV'cover member 14a is located over the topv plate 12 and maybe.suitably` secured in its proper operative position upon the body portionof the iron by means .ot a bolt or screw 15,.

Y The heatingelement 13 maybe otv any suitable construction usuallyyemployed` in electrically heated irons and is not described in detailasv it formsV no particular part of my invention. The ends 16 of theresistor ot' the heating element'l maybe secured to terminalstrapmembers 17 by means of suitable screws or bolts 18. Theterminal-strap members may be of any suitable or desired shape and areAhere illustrated as substantially of L-shape, 'one leg thereof extendingunder the overhanging rear end of the top lplate 12 and being'securedthereagainst by means of ascrew 19,` suitable insulating members 21 and22 being located on each side ot the terminal plate to insulate the samefrom thertop plate 12l and theV screw. 18.. .Contact terminals 23 aresecured to the terminal straps. 17 and project outwardly through 'asuitable opening 24 at the rear of the cover member 14a, an insulatingmemberl 25jbeing provided to maintain the terninals 23 and the terminalstraps 17 in proper operative positions-relatively to the covermemloer'lafl andthe .opening 24. If l necessary, a plate 26 of suitableinsulating material may Ibe .placed inside of the rear of the cover14a-to insure tnat'the terminal straps 17 `do not. loperatively engagethe cover and become short circuited thereby during the operation of theiron.

An elongated handle strap 27 has its inner v.end lprojecting through anopening 28, which is located immediately in front ofthe opening 24 inthe cover and is secured to the/cover by a suitable rivet 29. The rearVportion of the cover member is pressed upwardly to provide a suitablelat surface 30,

through which the' contact terminals 23 may project, the front angularlvinclined surface of the upwardly pressed portionr being indicated by30-A. The outer portion of the handle strap 27 extends upwardly andrearwardly from, the cover of the iron.

A handle-supportingmember 31 comlprises a portionof substantiallyU-shape in ,lateral section, the middle part of which is substantiallyco-extensive with the outer and rear'par't of the handle'strap. Aportion 32 of the handle-supporting member v31 .extends forwardly of theportion-of U-shape and is secured against the` outside of the covermember by means of the rivet 29 hereinbetore described as securing thehandle strap against the cover member. An extension 33 of the member :"1is return-bent around the outer end of the handle strap 27 to morerigidly secure it thereon, a suitable screw 34 being provided, atsubstantially the middle of the member 31, to secure it against thehandle strap. A plurality of notches 35 are provided in the outerarcuate edge of the portion of U-shape :for a purpose to be hereinafterset forth more in detail,

A handle 36, ot any suitable insulatingmaterial, is provided with anaxial hole 37 therethrough having an enlarged outer end portion 38 andan enlarged inner end portion 39. A metal bushing 41 is located in theenlarged portion 39 and is yprovided with a threaded axial opening 42.Theend of a long screw 43, the head of which lies in the portion 38 ofthe hole 37, screws into the opening 42, this construction serving` tosecurely clamp the member 41 in its operative position in the inner endof the handle 36. Une end ot' a screw-threaded stud 44 is screwed intoan opening 42a in the outer end of the bushing 41 and has its other endsecured in a collar 45 which is located on a pin 46 mounted in the twoside walls of the `portion of U-shape of the member 31. The vcollar 45has a turning movement on the pin 46 and the stud 44 is suitably lockedlon the collar 45 to prevent its becoming disengaged therefrom as thehandle 36 is turned thereon.

A clamping member 47, substantially of channel section, is located atthe inner end of the handle 36 immediately adjacent the outer end of thebushing 41 and surrounding the stud 44, the distance between the outeredges being such that they will register with, and operatively engage,two of the notches 35, hereinbetore described. A coil spring 48surrounds the stud 4 4 and tends to force the member 47 out of thenotches 35. By turning Jhe handle 36 on the stud 44 the spring 48 may beCompressed and the outer edges of the member 47 caused to engage thenotches in the member 31 to loclr the handle in any one of a number ofpredetermined angularly disposed positions relatively to the bodyportion of the iron, several positions of the handle being illustratedby broken lines in Fig. 1.

A terminal and connecting-plug guard 49 is suitably secured against theunder surface of the handle strap 27 by means of the screw 34, whichholds the handle-support-` ing member 31 in its operative position onthe handle strap. A connecting plug 51, in which is located the end ofthe supply-circuit cord 52, lits within the guard 49 and permits ofsuitably energizing the heater element of the iron.

. It it is assumed that the handle is in the position illustrated by thefull lines in Fig. 1 and it is desired to change this position to permitoi' using the iron in actual operation, the operator may give the handlea rotating movement on its longitudinal axis in such direction as tocause the handle to move outwardly on the stud 44, the clamping member47 being caused to follow the handle by reason of expansion of thecoilspring 48. As soon as the outer edges of the clamping member aredisengaged from the notches 35, the handle member may be given a turningmovement on the pin 46 to any one of a number of positions, two of whichare illustrated in Fig. 1. To lock the handle in any desired posit-ion,it is only necessary to turn the handle on the stud 44 inthe oppositedirection to that in which it was previously turned, which compressesthe spring 48 and causes the clamping mem-ber 47 to engage notches 35and lock the handle in the selected position.

As the completed device occupies the least volume when the handle is inthe position illustrated in the full lines of Fig. 1, it may beshippedwith the handle in this position, and stored away when not inactual use and the operator can quickly adjust the handle to any one .ofa number of angular'positions, as may be desirable by reason of theheight of the ironing surface relatively to the operators hands. It isalsoy possible to quickly change the angular position of the handlerelatively to the iron during the working period to rest the operatorshand and wrist, if desired. V

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my inventionwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I desire thatonly such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by theprior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims. A

I claim as my invention: A V

1. In an electric iron in combination, a body portion, a. cover membertherefor, a handle strap secured to said cover member, a handle supportsecured to said handle strap, and a handle having a single pivotalVmounting on said handle support.

2. In an electric iron, in combination, a body portion comprising aheating element vand contact terminals therefor, a cover member securedto the body portion, a handle strap secured to said cover member, ahandle support, substantially of vU-shape, secured to said handle strapand to said cover member, and a handle having a single pivotal mountingon said handle support.Y

3. In an electric iron, in combination, a body porti-on, a cover membertherefor, a

handle support mounted on said coverinem-V ber, of substantiallyU-shape'and having a plurality of Aspaced notches thereon, a pin mountedin said support,a collar located on said pin and having a turningmovement thereon, a handle having a screw engagement with said collar, aclamping means on said handle for (5o-operating With Said notches insaid handle support to hold Said handle in a predetermined angularposition relatively to said iron and resilient means tending to holdsaidv Clamping means out of engagement with said notches in said handlesupport.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th dayof Oct.,

FRANK F. FORSHEE.

